Effects of sterilization procedures on the cutting efficiency of stainless steel and carbon steel Gates Glidden drills.

One-hundred fifty carbon steel Gates Glidden drills were compared with 150 stainless steel Gates Glidden drills before and after sterilization in an autoclave, salt beads, dry heat, or 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde. Cutting efficiency and separation rates of the drills were evaluated. Stainless steel #1 and 2 Gates Glidden drills resisted separation and maintained their cutting efficiency statistically better than the carbon steel #1 and 2 Gates Glidden drills after one sterilization cycle in an autoclave, salt bead sterilizer, or dry heat oven. Glutaraldehyde did not effect either type of drill.